You are a new breastfeeding mother. It has been about ten days and your cracked bleeding nipples aren't healing & you have started to have a burning sensation with deep throbbing pain in your breast. It sometimes lasts for a few minutes, but sometimes hours. The beginning of feeds are terrible and even between feeds you are getting electrical shock like feelings in the breast. If this is you, you are like many other mothers and like many other mothers you may have been told you have thrush. You are given a prescription for nystatin for you and baby. You treat for two weeks and symptoms get mildly better, but it isn't going away. Baby has no symptoms but your pain just won't knock it off. You get Nystatin for a couple more weeks, cut out all sugars, start washing your nipples with grape seed extract and the pain in still persistent. Maybe you have had APNO cream & some Diflucan in there, as well. Still no success.

How about I suggest to you that if you have thrown every thrush treatment at your nipples and you're not seeing results, that it isn't really thrush you are trying to treat?

Thrush is very commonly diagnosed, rather misdiagnosed. I do not think that it is as common as we are being led to believe it is. I know you are asking me, "if it isn't thrush than what is it?"

I would say in more likelihood than not, it is vasospasms. Vado-Whats? What are those? The simple answer is that the blood vessels in the are contracting and becoming smaller in diameter - called vasospasms. This can happen for a variety of reason and for some people it can be very painful and occur in various parts of the body, including the nipple in breastfeeding mothers.

There are risk factors for vasospasms including but notlimited to :

Poor latch, position or clenching during feeds

Nipple cracks or trauma, especially severe or reoccurring trauma

Exposure to cold temperatures

Periods of severe emotional stress

Cigarette smoking or second-hand smoke

Caffeine intake

What are some more symptoms and how would you suspect you have vasospasms?

The pain can last from seconds to hours, and come during or in between feeds.

The pain may get worse when the nipples are exposed to cold, i.e. when you step outside in cold weather, or when you get out of a hot shower.

When you are having the pain, your nipples will usually change color to pale/white, blue/purple, or dark red. These color changes are a sign that your blood vessels are contracting or spasming.

What can you do about vasospasms?

Most importantly, make sure your baby has a good latch and you are pain free during feeds. If you are in pain or are unsure about the latch, get help as soon as you can. I suggest booking an appointment with an IBCLC. Getting the latch and pain resolved is key to stopping and healing your vasospasms.

Use heat! Stay warm and keep your nipples warm. During episodes of pain and after feeds, use a warm compresses or your own arm or hand to warm the nipple. Always have heat on the nipple while wet.

Avoid smoking and second hand smoke.

Decrease caffeine intake.

It is important to seek professional help as soon as possible if this problem is persistent. They can help assess the cause and come up with some remedies for you. They can also explain the use of vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids (important for healing). There are also prescription medications available, if warranted, and your IBCLC and physician can help accommodate that.

You do not need to suffer through the pain or end breastfeeding for this to resolve. If you would like to keep breastfeeding, without pain, book an appointment and we can get you back on track.